Barbara Philipp’75 has spent her adult life attending to the health of mothers and their infants. Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine, “Bobbi” also is medical director of The Birth Place and a practicing pediatrician at Boston Medical Center (BMC). She served as a co-chair of the BMC Baby-Friendly Task Force, which led the hospital to the WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly designation in 1999. With Baby-Friendly steps in place, BMC’s breastfeeding initiation rate rose dramatically.  In 2002, the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services announced that Boston Medical Center was selected as a best-practice model of breastfeeding for the nation.

Earning her degree in chemistry, Bobbi was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and studied on St. Lawrence’s program in Kenya.  She received her medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. 

Bobbie has published numerous research and review articles on breastfeeding-related topics, has served as a consultant for several state public health departments, and lectures frequently around the country. She is co-author of the reference book, Breastfeeding: Conditions and Diseases.  St. Lawrence has expressed its admiration for her work by awarding Barbara Philipp a 2008 Alumni Citation.